The Third War
by Lizzie-Harrison
Summary: PostHBP. Next Gen. Harry has killed Voldemort. The wizarding world is safe. Right? Wrong! The locket will return! Abandoned!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All the characters and places in the story belong to J. K. Rowling. The plot and the kids are mine.

A/N This is my first fanfiction - if anyone has any tips or comments please review.

Harry Potter, Minister for Magic, and his wife Ginny, Head Healer at St. Mungo's, were sat in their lounge, looking through their old photo album. This album spanned the last 13 years of their lives since the Last Battle of the Second War. After the battle, all the Weasleys and the Lupins had moved to Godric's Hollow in the North of Scotland

This first picture was of Arthur and Molly Weasley. They were now in their late 60s. Arthur was retired after being Minister for Magic from late 1997 to 2000. Molly, although she was arthritic and tired in her old age, could still bring all the children and children-at-heart into line when necessary.

The next pages of photos were of Remus and Nymphadora Lupin who had been Harry's guardians after Dumbledore's death. Remus was now in his early fifties but still had the Marauder spirit about him and 'Tonks', still with bright-pink hair, was now the Head Auror though her grace had not improved with age. They had one son, Sirius, an eleven-year-old. He had inherited metamorphosing from his mum but he preferred to have light brown hair like his dad. He enjoyed plotting mischief with the Potters, obviously this was a common trait shared from their fathers' love of misbehaving.

Next was Bill and Fleur who lived with their gentle toddlers, Pierre and Jacques. Bill had no lasting condition from the bites he had suffered during the night of Dumbledore's death but he was covered in scars from it. Fleur had left her mark on the village in her own quintessential French way. Charlie featured in many these photos. He had stayed single through the torrent of engagements and marriages and hoped to remain that way for the near future.

After this was Percy and Penelope, they had no children yet but Penelope was pregnant. When Percy had helped with the final battle, the family allowed him back into the fold; however, the twins pranked him weekly.

The next section started with a picture of two large semi-detached houses with scorch marks all over them. This was definitely the home of the founders of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, a household name all over Britain and the World. In one house lived Fred and Angelina, with their 11 year-old twins, Percival and Wulfric. George and Katie lived in the other with their twins, also 11, Albus and Brian. The four kids all looked the same and were always up to mischief.

Ron and Hermione came next. Ron was the Chudley Cannons and England Keeper and Hermione was the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher and also Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. Their oldest child, Jayne, was a bookish 11-year-old who was just like Hermione though her bushy hair was red rather than brown. Dennis was their troublesome six-year-old with constant foot-in-mouth disease, just like Ron.

After this were the pictures of their own nine children, the oldest of which were Lily and Petunia, at 11. Petunia was splitting image of Molly Weasley and she was very protective of her younger siblings. Lily was so like her namesake as well as her Aunt Hermione and it shone through her all the time. She always stood up for the underdog or the victim. James, at nine, was very close to his little brother Alex who was 8. They were both very mischievous, plotting with Sirius Lupin. The triplets came next. The five-year-olds Cedric, Amelia and John were usually found high in the sky searching for a snitch or maybe tossing a quaffle back and forth. These were closely followed by Neville and Luna. They had been good friends so it had seemed fitting to name twins after them.

Later that evening, a party was raging in Potter Manor, all 38 residents of this small hamlet were there for the party celebrating Harry Potter's 31st birthday and the 13th wedding anniversary of the Potters and Ron and Hermione Weasley. During the party, Hermione Weasley had an interesting announcement for everyone.

"Apart from the things we are celebrating today, what is so important about 31st July?" she asked

There was silence as nobody could think of anything else to do with today. Fred surprised everyone when he knew the answer.

"Today is the deadline for replying to this year's Hogwarts' letters." He explained.

"Yes, there is a new addition this year where the teachers introduce students to the school and, especially muggle-borns, to living in the magical world during the last week of August and help then get their supplies." Penelope and Katie seemed to agree with this idea, both being muggle-born, but Fred and George seemed disappointed.

"We were looking…" Fred started.

"…forward to giving…" George continued.

" …the kids all our tricks!" they finished in unison.

Hermione frowned as she began again "We go on the 24th August and staff members have been allocated an area of the UK to collect the students and introduce them to the school. I was given the Highlands, this includes Godric's Hollow and an orphanage in Aberdeen that seems to be where the Ministry dumped the kids of Death Eaters."

A gasp of shock, surprise, horror and amazement rippled round the room.

"Like who?" Molly wondered aloud.

Hermione did not want to say so she gave the cake to Harry to blow out his candles.

"Finally, Dad" shouted Cedric "hope you made a wish!"

When the 24th of August dawned, it was a warm sunny day as Lily and Petunia Potter awoke at 6 am. Yawning as they went, they set off to round up all those starting Hogwarts this year. Jayne Weasley was ready, sitting on her packed trunk in her kitchen and her book bag, that weighed more than her trunk, was in her hand. Her Mum had already left for Aberdeen. When the three of them reached the pranksters' house; Albus, Percival, Wulfric and Brian were running round the house at 90-mph looking for this item or that item.

When they had all found all they needed and said goodbye to their parents, the cousins all waited for Aunt Hermione to return from Aberdeen. When she did, she had two scruffy boys; one with long, silky, white-blonde hair and the other had long, thick, greasy, black hair. There was also a girl reading a tatty book that looked like she had owned it all her life.

"Who are those people?" asked Brian curiously.

"Just some of your classmates so can you keep your nose out for 15 minutes until the sorting ceremony", she whispered to Brian. She then said to the group, "Right everyone, all put a finger on this feather." Hermione was holding out a bright gold feather that seemed to have come from a phoenix, probably from a certain phoenix. When they all had a hold of the feather, there was a sharp tug from behind their navel and they landed in the picturesque village of Hogsmeade.

"We have to be moving on quickly. You will get to visit this village in your third year so come along." As the group turned the next corner they saw it for the first time with the grand turrets reaching high into the sky. They walked up the lane towards the massive castle. At the gates, a giant of a man greeted them. Of course, this was Hagrid. Professor Hagrid, has he now is, was married Olympe Maxine and they had one daughter, Athena.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry", Hagrid announced to the first-years while he open the iron gates.

" The other groups arrived five minutes ago, you're the last group", he whispered to Hermione. When they were through to the entrance hall, they joined the other groups for the lecture on the different houses. They walked into the Great Hall, towards the Sorting Hat and the High Table where the teachers sat. Jayne was telling everyone about Hogwarts: a History; her copy was from her parents as a present for her eleventh birthday. The pranksters were considering when to do their first prank when suddenly, the Sorting Hat burst into song

_You are now here_

_at the start of the year._

_The house for you will _

_soon become clear._

_It's Hogwarts' special_

_sorting tradition._

_And to place you_

_is my only mission._

_This school was founded_

_many years ago_

_by four wise friends,_

_now as dead as the dodo._

_To keep their legacy_

_from dying out,_

_put me on your head_

_and your house I'll shout._

_If Hufflepuff is the_

_place for you,_

_then sticky situations_

_won't get you in a stew._

_True and loyal_

_is what you are,_

_and for your friends_

_you'll go far._

_But cunning and sly_

_and anything to win_

_will see you go_

_into Slytherin._

_Now Gryffindors_

_are always brave,_

_young or old,_

_girl or knave_

_Our Gryffindors are _

_never queasy,_

_They do what's right_

_and not what's easy_

_Last but not least,_

_Our fourth house forever_

_Ravenclaws are smart_

_and clever._

_Now I must sort you_

_so listen to the stakes._

_You must band together_

_to forget past mistakes._

The Hat went quiet and Hermione unfurled the parchment and started to read the list of first years.

"Albers, Louise", a two-second decision placed her in Hufflepuff, Louise went and stood by Professor Sprout. The next name sent shock waves along the high table…

"Black, Sarah".


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N. Sorry about the delay between chapters.**

**Disclaimer: all recognisable stuff belongs to JKR.**

Chapter 2

Posts and Papers

Sarah Black stood in her deserted dormitory at 7 o'clock, the day after her visit to Diagon Alley, thinking about her classmates. There were 5 Weasleys, 2 Potters and a Lupin, the 'saviours' of the wizarding world. Then there was a Malfoy, a Snape and a Lestrange, the 'scum' of the wizarding world. But people aren't like their parents; Sarah knew that from her dad. Columbia Lestrange, daughter of death eaters, and Jayne Weasley, daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley. They were the nicest friends a girl could have but that friendship was about to be tested from in and out of the school.

Sarah strolled into breakfast and was tucking into her breakfast with Jayne and Columbia when a flurry of owls flew to dining students. A small brown owl belonging to Sarah's Dad and a tiny Scops owl called Pigwidgoen were both carrying copies of that day's Daily Prophet and a letter from their owners.

The headline on the front page of the prophet screamed at the reader…

**Daughter of Head Death Eater Sorted Into Gryffindor**

This was followed by a picture of Jayne, Sarah and Columbia walking down Diagon Alley the previous day chatting like best of friends, which they were.

The girls exchanged a look and Jayne began to read…

"_Columbia Lestrange, the tall and dark-haired one in the above picture, daughter of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, was seen yesterday shopping for Hogwarts supplies with the rest of the first-years. She, along with Draco Malfoy Jr and Severus Snape Jr, is one of the youngest residents of the Orphanage for Children of Death Eaters that was created 13 years ago in a manor outside Aberdeen. _

_All residents so far have been Slytherin, like their parents and this paper believed it was a breeding ground for a new generation of Death Eater-like-wizards. This year, Columbia shocked the Hogwarts population by being sorted into Gryffindor. _

_The other Gryffindor this year are mostly the children of the brave fighters of the Second War. Lily and Petunia Potter, who are the eldest children of Harry and Ginerva Potter. Sirius Lupin, only child of Remus and Nymphadora Lupin. Albus and Brian Weasley, sons of Fred and Angelina Weasley and Wulfric and Percival Weasley and sons of George and Katie Weasley. _

_The final members of the house are Sarah Black, an apparent muggle-born; Jayne Weasley, daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley and Miss Lestrange who have become close friends, despite past family differences."_

"Me, a muggle-born?" Sarah scoffed gently as Jayne looked at her letter and gently prised it open before beginning to read it.

"_Jayne Hermione Weasley, how dare you make friends with a person who should have been a stinking Slytherin. She is the daughter of the biggest Death Eater ever and she is probably just like her mother. You stop being her friend immediately or I will never speak to you ever again! _"

Jayne was so annoyed at the prejudice that her father had shown that she ran straight up to her dorm.

Sarah and Columbia got up and followed her while Sarah picked up her letter and slid it open…

'_Dear Sarah,_

_I have read today's paper and I am amazed that you did not become a Slytherin, like me; but a Gryffindor like my big brother. To make friends with a Weasley and a Lestrange is very unusual but I believe that it is your life and your choice to make friends. If you ever need me just call me through your locket._

_From Dad_

_P.S. Mum sends her love and misses you already.'_

Sarah reached down and held her locket. It was a heavy locket engraved with an ornate serpentine S, given to her by her father.

"Where did you get that locket," asked Columbia, by this time they had reached the Fat Lady, "and why does it have Slytherin's mark".

"Don't know, my father found it in 1979." Sarah replied, "Just before he left the wizarding world and married my mum, he went to a cave in southern England to find and destroy the thing inside it. He said that it helped to win the war against Voldemort. That's Slytherin's mark."

Suddenly, a windswept and bedraggled owl swooped towards Columbia and delivered a letter to her as they walked into the common room, addressed to _'My Daughter'_.

"_My dearest Columbia, I must say I was greatly surprised when my guard passed me a paper saying that you were mentioned in it. The mere fact you have become Gryffindor disgraces the entire family. The fact that you have made friends with a Weasley disgusts me, that whole family of blood-traitors disgusts me."_

Sarah and Columbia reached the dorm and saw Jayne crying on her bed.

"It's okay, Jayne, we all have received letters from our parents annoyed with our chosen friends" Columbia reassured her.

"Why don't the three of us write a letter together to each of our families and show them that we are good friends and they can't change what we do," suggested Sarah. Columbia agreed and they saw that Jayne had stopped crying and was nodding.

"Let's do that" she agreed.

The girls went down to the common room, sat down by the fire and began to write…

"_To Our Dear Parents,_

_We are writing to you to express our belief that our friendship is something that is our business and not yours. Hogwarts exists to give students a chance to prove themselves as witches but also as individuals. The choice, decisions and any mistakes made at school are to mould us and prepare us for our life and when we step out into the world. We are growing up and we are too old for you to wrap us in cotton wool and to treat us like babies._

_The Sorting Hat has a way of seeing which house is best for a child and it chooses that on what their personality is, not who their parents were. We believe that you should not choose our friends for us._

_From Sarah, Columbia and Jayne_"

The girls sent a copy of this letter to the Weasleys, the Blacks and the Lestranges and waited for their parents to respond.

A/n: Please R/R.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**History Lesson**

Once all the other students had returned to Hogwarts, the first-years started their first proper lessons. Their first lesson on a Monday morning was Defence against the Dark Arts, taught by Professor Hermione Weasley. Hermione sat in her classroom waiting for the students to arrive. The first-years' first lesson was history of Defence against the Dark Arts. It was to be a question and answer lesson. The first-years filed in and the Gryffindors sat at the front.

"Good morning, class. Welcome to Defence against the Dark Arts. I will be teaching you over to next five years how to defend yourself against those who use our great gift of magic for the greatest of evils I will also teach you how to defend yourselves against creatures who feed off despair, fear and sadness. On a happier note, studying Defence against the Dark Arts also gives you opportunities for professions such as an Auror, Healing, and many other respectable professions. Today, we will have a general question and answer session about the school, myself and the subject in general."

"Why did no-one keep the job for longer than a year for the 52 year period between 1945 and 1997? That is 52 different teachers in as many years after Professor Merrythought had been the Professor for nearly 50 years." This question was asked by Hannah Macmillan, a Hufflepuff like her parents.

"Well done, Miss Macmillan. Five points to Hufflepuff." Hermione replied, "You have done your research. First of all, I have been in this role for 12 years and the supposed "jinx" has not hit me yet. However, there was a jinx on the job for the period Miss Macmillan described. Many of you will have heard of Lord Voldemort. He grew to be the most evil wizard of the 20th century but before he became that evil, he asked to teach Defence against the Dark Arts as Professor Merrythought was retiring. Both Professor Dippet and Professor Dumbledore both denied him the job saying he was too young. Since he was denied the job to when he died, no-one could keep the job longer than a year as he cursed it. Are there any more questions?" asked Hermione.

Sarah put up her hand and asked, "How did Voldemort die? He didn't die in 1980 because of his Horcruxes. Why did he die in 1997?" Hermione and the class all gasped in response to this.

"How do you know about Horcruxes, Miss Black?"

"My parents told me, professor."

"Well, they would have to be very knowledgeable to know this. In answer to your question, all his horcruxes were destroyed in turn by a Basilisk's fang, fangs from the Hogwarts Basilisk; stabbing a Horcrux leaves a lightening bolt-shaped scar. Voldemort's first, his diary, was destroyed in 1992, the second, Slytherin's ring in 1996, the third, Slytherin's locket, was going to be destroyed in 1997 but it was taken. Hufflepuff's cup, Gryffindor's sword and Ravenclaw's mirror, the Mirror of Erised were destroyed just before was Voldemort killed in 1998."

A bell rang and Hermione dismissed the class. Sarah, however, remained behind. Her locket was Slytherin's locket. Her father had told her this when he had given it to her but it had no lightening-bolt crack down the middle, it was still a Horcrux. It still had a piece of Voldemort's soul in it. Voldemort was still alive.

"Miss Black, what do you what?" asked Hermione when she realised Sarah was still there and not on her way to Potions.

"Professor Granger," she asked nervously as she took off her locket, "do you recognise this locket." She held it out. "My father told me it was a Horcrux but there is no lightening-bolt crack, I think it is still a Horcrux. How can I find out?" Suddenly, Hermione's next class knocked at the door.

"Where did you find this?" asked Hermione very surprised. This locket showed that Voldemort could still be alive.

"I will get back to you, Miss Black, when I have spoken to a person who knows more about this stuff. Now head off to your next class."

Jayne and Columbia, meanwhile, were already at Potions. Professor Slughorn had lost weight over the last 15 years but was still the fattest teacher in Hogwarts.

"Welcome to Potions. Potions is a subtle art. A potion can be destroyed or perfected by a single drop of ingredient. I can show you how to mix fame and brew success. Potions do not require any magical power apart from using the ingredients. This is all skill and technique which will be taught to you in the few years. Today, I will show you some basic potions. By OWL Level, you should be able to make most simple potions such as a Strengthening Solution, cosmetic potions such as hair-raising potion and some basic antidotes. Today, we will go through basic techniques and ingredients. I will now take the register, Louise Albers?"

"Here, Professor"

"Sarah Black?" There was a long silence. Sarah was not yet there. "Where is Miss Black?" Sarah then ran in hurriedly, "Sorry I'm late, it won't happen again, sir."

"Why are you so late, Sarah?" whispered Jayne.

"I got lost" replied Sarah quickly, gently stowing her locket beneath her robes.

"Well, then, now Miss Black has decided to join us, we will continue…"

Slughorn continued to talk until the end of the lesson favouring those who he wanted in his Slug Club and looking down on those he did not think were. "That was interesting," commented Columbia sarcastically, because Slughorn had thought she was not very good at potions. He was right, Charms were more her thing.

"Miss Potter, Miss Potter and Miss Weasley, would you like to come to one of my little suppers, tonight at 7:30." asked Slughorn. All three girls had heard about these from their parents and Slughorn was disappointed when they declined.

Later that night, Hermione was writing a letter to Harry. This locket had surprised her. Voldemort was dead. He had been for 12 years.

_Dear Harry,_

_As you probably know, during the first lesson of the year is a question and answer session with the students covering the usual; Voldemort, the jinx and ,surprisingly this year, Horcruxes. Sarah Black showed me a locket. I think it is the locket, the one we never found. It is Slytherin's locket. It was the one that R.A.B. took but there was no lightening bolt scar. It is still a Horcrux. The man who plagued our entire adolescence is still alive. What should we do?_

_From Hermione_

Hermione folded and sealed the letter and attached it to an owl. She watched it fade into the distance and sighed. He would be back. And soon.

_**1126 words**_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 6_

_The First Sign of Danger_

September began to pass quickly and the first-years were settling in. As October started to whizz by, two days in this month would be remembered by all those involved. October 19 was the first of these. It was Jayne Weasley's twelfth birthday.

At breakfast, she received her presents by owl post and these included a book on Cosmetic Potions and her own owl, Minerva. After an uneventful day, curfew came went but the first-years' dormitory was empty and they were not in the common room. Lily, Petunia, Jayne and Columbia were in the kitchens having a midnight feast.

Lily and Petunia were under the Invisibility Cloak and Columbia and Jayne had the Marauders' Map. After a wonderful meal, they quietly headed back to the common room. They were walking along with the Map in Jayne's hand when they spotted two dots ahead. They were Miss Norris, Filch's cat and S… They were about to take a shortcut when Miss Norris came into view. She wasn't prowling along the corridor about to catch them; she was lying on the floor and was almost dead.

"What do we do," Lily asked panicky.

"I have an idea," announced Jayne, "If you all go back to the common room, I will see you there."

Jayne "master plan" was to scream as loud as possible. It would work, in theory. She began to scream, she was screaming for nearly two minutes when her mum arrived.

"What are you doing out of bed, Jayne?" asked Hermione, "Ten points from Gryffindor."

"M-M-Miss-ss-ss N-N-Nor-r-r-ris-s-s-s" Jayne slowly as she pointed at Miss Norris.

"I will take you straight to your common room after I have done this," Hermione responded. She muttered under her breath and a silver otter zoomed out and headed to the seventh floor. She then took Jayne back to her common room and headed to the headmistress' office.

When she arrived and said the password, she then knocked on the door.


End file.
